Bilsbury, who according to Neue Revue had been living on social welfare, was found dead in his 8 square metres (86sqft) apartment in Bonn on 13 March 2003, and the post mortem established that he had died three days earlier from heart failure. He was cremated and his ashes were buried in Gauting Waldfriedhof near Munich, at a ceremony attended by his 16-year-old son.